Haiti
Helping Haitians Recover from the 2010 earthquake
A devastating earthquake centered just outside Haiti’s capital left hundreds of thousands dead and more than one million displaced. Survivors were in immediate need of accurate information about the safety of loved ones, relief services, and, over time, recovery efforts. Some local radio stations remained operational or returned to the airwaves quickly, but local media had suffered its own setbacks and could not adequately fill the information void.
With a team of local reporters, Internews began production of Enfomasyon Nou Dwe Konnen (News You Can Use), a daily humanitarian news broadcast, and set up a distribution network of local radio stations, eventually airing on nearly 40 stations, reaching 70% of Haitians. Local journalists received training in humanitarian reporting and produced the daily show, reporting from displaced persons’ camps, fielding questions from residents, seeking answers from the government and aid community, and investigating issues of concern.
One month after ENDK’s launch, 80% of surveyed focus group members were familiar with the program – by July, 100% were, and could identify key pieces of information that they had integrated into their daily lives, such as how to how to prevent malaria by getting rid of standing water, and how to prevent diarrheal diseases by washing hands regularly.
In a survey of 11,000 Haitians, 81% said they trusted radio as a source of information, second only to churches and religious communities. 57% of the population surveyed had radios, while 72% had cell phones, which often had radio capabilities. Text message was a critical way for listeners to interact with ENDK, which fielded 50-100 text messages a day from listeners, seeking information that ENDK investigated and responded to on air.
© 2012 Internews Network